


On the Brink of War

by Khorevis



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: F/M, Genetical Experiments, Interspecies War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-07 16:23:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13438644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khorevis/pseuds/Khorevis
Summary: Technology has finally revealed the People to the humans.An interracial Cold War has just begun.Hackers on both sides are trying to pierce each other's defence, but until now, no one has achieved anything.At Fowl Manor, meanwhile, a lonely hacker frowns as his plan slowly develops.





	1. War

Fowl Manor was, as usual, at the same time spectacular and creepy. The main building alone was a real fortress, as it had been built as a castle by Messer Hugo de Folé, the one to begin the Fowl family line. The Fowl's family had always lived in the house. For reasons no one could explain, the Fowls were always very few. The Fowl parents, usually a child, and the Butler assigned to each of the Fowls. This way, it seemed they never needed to move a branch of the family to another location.

However, it had been very much time since the last time the Fowl family was made up of solely three individuals.

Juliet Butler was watching her sixth wrestling match of the day on TV when it began to rain. It was a strong rain, time and again completed by a lighting, strong even for Irish standards. The blonde girl wasn't intimidated at all by the rumbling thunders, having experienced far worse storms during her life at the Manor. To her, the storm held no menace, as she was completely safe inside the fortress.

Domovoi Butler was just slightly less relaxed, but that was normal. He hadn't become the world's deadliest man by sipping tea or watching TV. As he cooked dinner, only half of his mind was actually dedicating to the task he was performing. The other half was, as usual, thinking about his principal, the only Fowl currently living in the house. The huge Eurasian had had enough training as bodyguard to be discreet in his actions, but his thoughts were always worrying about the young Fowl's next action. He was unpredictable, and Butler was lucky to be just as unpredictable: that made Fowl slightly more predictable for him.

The only Fowl in the house, who also happened to be the only person bearing the Fowl family name in the entire world, was in his office, his eyes fixed on the window. Even if it was barely six pm, there was no light able to pass through the wall of clouds above the Manor. The young Fowl was well aware that the storm was just a small perturbation formed in open sea, that had grown powerful with time and had then hit the coast, Fowl Manor right on his path. But knowing exactly how it was born couldn't let him disperse the clouds, at least to avoid more noisy thunders that disturbed him.

Artemis Fowl the Second wasn't a man to be taken lightly. First and foremost, he always made sure to have the upper hand before doing his move. Second, because he wasn't exactly a man. Although his vocabulary was clearly too sophisticated to be a child's, his appearance betrayed him. Extremely thin and pale, with raven black hair, his most terrifying trait were his eyes. Ice blue, they held a strength than even his bodyguard found difficult to bear. Where Butler could frighten people with his simple presence thanks to his bulk, Artemis could make everyone -sometimes even his manservant- shiver in subtle fear, thanks to his eyes. As a girl once put it: "He would be incredibly handsome, hadn't he those merciless eyes".

While his eyes and his expression were what scared people, the real threat behind those eyes was Artemis' intelligence. His intelligence was what had kept him alive during his many criminal adventures. He and his bodyguard were a team all banks would fear, had they known about them.

After he scowled at yet another lighting, that was followed by a yet another thunder, he turned to his computer, his scowl turning into a frown. Breaking the encryption code wouldn't be difficult, he knew it, but he didn't know if breaking into those files would be a gain... or a damage to the precarious position the world was in.

Allowing himself three seconds of uncertainness, he then sighed and clicked on "Yes". The files were arranged in many folders, that contained other folders, and so on. Being an extremely talented hacker, he knew perfectly well where to look. Defences Systems.

  


  


Very far below ground, the situation was just as stormy as aboveground, only that in Haven's case, the bad weather was from a fairy cause instead of a natural one.

Commander Julius Root was exactly the kind of elf who could fight off several humans by himself using his large three-barrelled blaster. Unfortunately, everyone who knew him well enough could tell that he was also exactly the kind of elf who could blow a hole in someone else's forehead, human or not, if that someone kept bothering him, and with the same gun. He was easily angered, as his normal state of mind was "enraged".

His rage was, in that particular moment, directed toward the centaur Foaly who, despite his efforts, couldn't find a way to appease the furious Commander. Foaly was greatly intelligence -something he never missed to mention to anyone around him, at all times-, and he knew that the only way to calm the Commander would have been to tell him that the war was over and they had won.

Unfortunately for the whole planet, the war _wasn't_ over.

«Jul... I mean, Commander Root, I fear that our systems need an update. I'm pretty much sure it's just a miracle that the Mud Men haven't hacked our systems yet. They made giant strides since the start of the war. Actually, it has been their progress to start the war, so we can all say that we need to progress as well. They already have the number advantage, so we must cling to our technology advantage».

«I do not care about details, Foaly!», yelled the Commander, fully aware of what had caused the war, and so not in need of explanations from the centaur. «If it's a miracle the Mud People aren't as advanced as we are, then now you have to make another miracle to put us not one or two, but  _ten_ steps before them!».

«Perhaps, Commander, you did not fully understand the difficulty», continued Foaly, trying to keep the elf from exploding. «While I am the sole technician here, except for that hideous Opal Koboi, and so the only one to be actually able to improve our defences, the Mud Men have  _hundreds_ of technicians working on their systems at full time. And sometimes, number outmatches even a great intelligence like mine».

«You are the technician, not me!», shouted Root, immediately regretting it as the Look came over the centaur's face. The Look meant that they needed yet another miracle. «What now?», he sighed, letting all his anger flow into tiredness.

«I will look at my designs for new systems, sir, but...». The Commander wearily gestured him to go on. Before the war, it had been a very rare sight to catch the elf in a state different from serious, angry or out of himself with rage,  but after three years of conflict, the responsibility of control was taking its tool on the Commander . «... we will still have to hope they don't get us in time ».

« What should this m... ».  Julius couldn't finish his question, as the whole room suddenly exploded with red lights and beeping alarms. A hacking attempt in process. Foaly flew to the command board, using two different keyboards at the same time, a feat he had perfected over the months of continual need.

«Failed attempt, Julius», finally breathed out the centaur, slumping into his chair.  « I will try to hack them back, but right now I can barely stand on my feet. It is a miracle that I can still work ».

« I've heard the world "miracle" one too many, Foaly »,  growled the Commander, back to his furious self.  « You brought the LEP to a peak of technology I've never seen... ».  Foaly smiled at the elf's remark, pride filling his chest.  «... but now you are talking about miracles as if it's normal for us to have to rely on miracles! ».

« I've never said we have to  _rely_ on them... »,  said the centaur, tapping the keyboard to run the usual scan for interesting data. He had written it almost two years before, using it to catch all the tracks human hackers left in the systems.

«Foaly, as much as I hate to have to rely on your words, I have to ask». The elf's tone was deadly serious. Something very dangerous was afoot.

«Commander...».

«Do you think we actually have a chance to win this war?», he asked, embarrassment colouring his cheeks. Foaly would never understand why the elf had to feel embarrassed every time he showed weakness. Three years of war could break anybody. The Commander couldn't just bottle all the tension up and smile at the enemy with a gun in his hands.

For a second, he allowed himself to think about it. Before giving an answer to the Commander, he had to be sure. As much as the elf loathed to admit it, he really trusted him.  « If we keep this defensive strategy, I'd hazard a guess. Eighty percent chance of surviving this year, dropping of seven percent each year afterwards ».

« Which means... ».

« Twelve years, best case scenario », nodded Foaly.  « Unless the Mud Men get a miracle too. If that's the case, I fear we won't be here in a few years ».

« Another question ».

« Shoot ».

« Don't tempt me to »,  snapped the elf, then rubbed his temples.  « How many times did the Mud People hacked your system, Foaly? ».

« Well... I can't know for  _sure_ »,  the centaur said.  « But I'd say... none. Not yet ».

« And yet you think we need a miracle? ».

« Well, I... ».  A noisy beep relieved him of the need to reply. He looked at the single folder his program had found. Opening it, he almost choked.  « Commander, I think we have our miracle. The program seems to have a glitch, and so returned one of my defensive system designs ».

« And so? ».

« Well, I... ».  The centaur scratched his neck.  « It seems I've forgotten to check every folder when I searched for the right upgrade for our systems. We have it. A good design. I think we can say that, if the LEP doesn't fail us, Haven will be safe for this year ».

Having already stated he was sick of hearing of miracles, the Commander glared. «So this means that... hadn't your program mistaken your folder... you would have been in deep shit trying to come up with a new system?». His eyes narrowed. «Is that all you can do? Make defective programs that save the day by  _pure luck?_ ».

«Well, I'd not...».

« _Set this damn system and find something interesting to me!_ ».  The elf stomped out of the room, fuming. Foaly continued to stare at the screen for a long time after he had gone.

_'And yet, I was sure I checked every folder'_ , he said to himself, then shook his head. Glitches were glitches. He should be thanking the Gods for such a glitch.

Behind him, the door opened again. Without even turning -he didn't need to, since the newcomer identity had immediately appeared on the screen-, he greeted the elf.

« Hello, Holly »,  he said, instantly regretting the alliteration.

«Hey Foaly», she replied, the door closing behind her.  « What's new? The Commander looked furious ».

Captain Holly Short was another dangerous elf. She had auburn hair, that she kept at shoulder-length. She would have cut it even shorter, but the jokes on her name were already enough for her limited patience, and she had no desire to add another one to the list. With brown skin and hazel eyes, she was infamously known to have a near-to-perfect aim and near-to-nothing respect for rules. Instinct was her style. The rules only provided borders she could break. Sometimes, just for fun.

« I... let's say Haven is safe once more »,  mumbled the centaur.

«Should we also say that it's not thanks to you once more?», smirked the Captain. Teasing the centaur's pride was great fun even in normal days. On days were she also had actual proof, it became hilarious.

As she predicted, Foaly shifted uncomfortably in his chair built for centaurs, looking away from her.

« I... ».

The door opened again, saving him from the danger of an answer, only to throw his life into danger as Commander Root stepped in, of an incredibly light shade of red, his eyes glued to the floor. Foaly knew it wasn't modesty. Or humbleness. Or fear. The elf was having a serious inner fight between his military training and his ideals.

« When I reached my office, I found an order from the Council »,  he finally grumbled. The tension went up of a few notches. The Commander never lost himself in telling others how he had got the new orders. Things had to be really bad.  « They say it's time to fight back ».

Foaly stared, confused, but Holly was immediately on her guard.  « What are the details, sir? ».

R oot sighed, closing his eyes for a second and losing his inner battle in favour of his training.  « The Council wants three  teams for their new task force ».  When he opened his eyes, determination had snuffed out the tiny spark of doubt.  « Snipers and sharpshooters. Those  soldiers will have to target the Mud Men, to weaken their forces and defences. Captain Short, you are to command one of those teams. Foaly, print me a list of the targets. Scientists, politicians, generals... it doesn't matter the grade. It matters the danger.  I want a list of those targets ».

« Captain, you are my finest officer. Whoever will be on the top of that list, I want you to get him. You will have five soldiers with you, but you are in command. Report everything from the moment you set off to the moment you blow a hole in a Mud Man's head. Is that clear? ».

« Yessir ».

« Foaly, how much will it take... ».  The Commander couldn't finish the sentence as the technician shoved a tablet into his hands.

«Here it is. I had it ready. Not that I anticipated the Council's decision... I just wanted to know whom are we up against». He returned to his screens, shrugging, rebooting the system to upgrade it.  « But if you want my opinion, we are doing the wrong thing by using killers ».

« If we don't,  _Consultant Foaly_ , the Mud Men will kill us all »,  retorted the Commander. Foaly didn't answer, but as Captain Short exited the door, he could swear to have heard her say the exact words that he was thinking.

«If becoming like them is the only way to win, then maybe we should lose this war».


	2. Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two goals, two people, two races.  
> One path.

Butler barely glanced at his principal as the boy entered the dining room. He had heard his footsteps and he knew his schedule. Dinner was served always at the same time. Also, the fact that he and Juliet, the other two inhabitants of the house other than the young Fowl, were already in the room made the task of recognizing the newcomer pretty easy.

Artemis Fowl II was unusually talkative, that evening. In over an hour, he had asked Butler twice for a glass of water and had -most unusual- asked Juliet if there was something new he had to be informed about on the war. The rare times where Fowl had let himself be so relaxed had always been the times where one of his plans had fallen into place and worked fine. Usually, a successful plan would also give Butler the chance to urge him for the details of said plan.

So, after dinner, while Master Fowl was enjoying a cup of tea before the great window of his office, the manservant dared to approach him and speak his mind.

«Artemis, would you mind telling me what happened?». Butler was immensely proud to be the only one, together with Juliet, to be allowed to call him by name. Everyone else would have been met by silence and a glare.

The boy took another sip of his Earl Grey tea before turning to face him. «It worked. My calculations say that this war should reach a temporary stop». He grimaced. «Let me rephrase it. My calculations say that not humans nor fairies should win for now. The war still is and will be ravaging between the species. But this is none of our concern, as long as it doesn't run out of control».

«What will be your next move, then? If you reached your goal, why do you want to continue? Do not lie, because I can see perfectly well you're not going to let this go anytime soon».

Artemis conceded himself a tiny smile. «Of course you can, old friend». Then his smile disappeared. «Although I said my plan worked, I still have to monitor its consequences. It will take some more days. Two weeks, at most».

«What then? Are you already planning something else?».

«I'm always planning», remarked Artemis, without the smallest hint of smugness in his voice. He was stating a fact. «My next target will probably be the Italian hack team. Their efforts are hitting the target, and soon they will be able to track down the fairy computer's signals».

«And... what are you intentioned to do?».

«Hack their systems to see how close they really are», he shrugged. «If they are a threat, then I will deal with them. If the humans discover Haven, it will be the start of a thermonuclear war that will kill us all. And being killed isn't in my plans».

Butler nodded curtly before retreating into the dojo, leaving his young charge to think alone. His brain was just as active as the storm raging on on the other side of the window. The boy could find a solution to any problem, and he would find a solution to this one.

The real problem was that he was, to others, bringer of problems far bigger than the ones he solved. One of the many reasons for which fairies hadn't been forced to bio-bomb the whole surface was that Artemis Fowl II still needed the humans in order to rob them.

 _Aurum potestas est_. Gold is power, the family motto.

He did not need power. In times of war, power was synonym of responsibility and danger. He had enough power, and he wasn't the kind of person to have a secret world-conquer plan in his locker. Gold, on the other hand, was something he was irresistibly drawn to. Even more than gold, the challenge to obtain it. He had far too much gold for just one person, more than a hundred times what he needed, but challenges were too much of a temptation. He simply couldn't resist it.

And when, three years before, the war had started, he had seen his best chance to be challenged. Hacking the fairies' systems had taken long, but the reward he got was beyond every imagination. Their secrets were his. He had studied them thoroughly, learning about their language and -most important- about their magic.

Shortly after having mastered their language, he had decided that taking part to the war would have been the challenge he was so eager to face. Now, after two years of efforts, he was seeing the results of his work. The war was still just like it had started. Neither side had gained further advantage. And it was exactly what he wanted.

  


«Okay, Foaly, fill me in», Captain Holly Short said as she let herself fall heavily on a chair. «Who's the one?».

The centaur stared at her, his eyes lost in thoughts, before energetically shaking his head and coming back to reality. «I'm sorry, Holly, I spaced out for a second. The target, yes...».

He picked up the tablet and tapped the first name of the list. «He's not exactly the most dangerous if you look at political influence. I put him on top because of his intelligence».

«Do tell... are you praising a Mud Man's mind? Weren't you the genius?».

«His IQ is extremely high, and he is from a very... infamous family. Even though he's the first, I don't think you will have any difficulty in eliminating him».

«Then why?», asked Holly, raising an eyebrow. «I mean, if we can deal with him later, or not at all, why are you so keen on choosing him?».

Foaly looked around. «Well... It's a theory, but I'd like the Commander not to be informed of it. Would you...?».

«Keep my mouth shut like every time I am called to his office?». She smirked. «I think I can manage it».

He sighed, relieved. «I've done some researching. Interpool files and similar. He seems to be a very... shady individual. Although they don't have actual proofs, the Interpool thinks he's behind a long and successful series of crimes».

«Who's this guy?».

«Well, he...». Foaly gulped dryly. «His files are well hidden, but not for me, so I managed to have a look at something...».

He pushed the tablet toward her.

«Artemis Fowl II. Sixteen. Lives in Fowl Manor, near Dublin, the Fowls' family estate... or should I say castle? Because it's a real fortress». Foaly coughed nervously. «Currently, he lives in there with his manservant and bodyguard Butler -no name specified- and Butler's younger sister Juliet».

Holly nodded as she scrolled the document about Fowl. «What els... oh».

She had found a small physical description of her target, completed with a link she obviously tapped. An image of Fowl, glaring in the photographer's direction, standing beside a mountainous man, who she assumed was Butler.

«Creepy, eh?», commented Foaly, peeking at the picture. «First time I saw it, I could swear he was looking at _me_ from the screen».

«He doesn't seem a real threat. I need nothing else about him». She handed the tablet to the centaur. «What about his bodyguard? He _does_ look dangerous».

«He does because he is», replied Foaly, tapping a tattoo on the table. «If you meet him, shoot. If my research is right, he is the deadliest human in the world».

Holly frowned. «The deadliest? And why should he be at the service of this... Fowl?».

«Family bond», shrugged the centaur. «The Butlers served the Fowls as bodyguards and menservants since Fowl Manor was built».

«Where is this Fowl Manor?».

«A few miles from Dublin». He chuckled despite the situation. «Well, its wall is a few miles from Dublin. The Fowl land is around as large as Haven itself, so the building is quite a bit farther».

Holly turned immediately. «As large as _Haven_? Foaly, what kind of family can buy so much land?».

«They didn't actually buy it. They own it. When Messer Hugo de Folé went there, the one who built the Fowl castle, there were no lawyers ready to sue him for illegal landowning».

She shook herself.

«Well, at least now you have a reason for killing him. Owning that much land should be a crime...». Foaly stopped as soon as she glared daggers at him. «Okay, I think the debriefing is done and gone and you can go too».

The Captain wasn't told twice. In a matter of two hours, she had already arranged the mission and told the details to her group, before hurrying toward the shuttle port. Her comrades ran after her, fast but not with the same fire she held.

Three hours after the debriefing with Foaly, she was on a shuttle to the surface.

  


Holly didn't say much during the flight. Three of her five teammates, young naive elves, were actively arguing on who should kill the Mud Man. She had already told them to shut up eight times, but inevitably the subject would pop up again and they would restart babbling about it. She didn't like it in the slightest. A life was a life, no matter to who it belonged. And even if she didn't hold any liking for the Mud People they still were people. Not things.

The other two had tried to kill the conversation by mentioning Butler, but despite him being a huge threat, the three elves simply ignored them, announcing that they would take on the bodyguard too, if he stood in their path to the Mud Boy.

And with that, Captain Short began to see red.

«Have you even _listened_ to me when I told you about this Butler?», she hissed angrily. «He _is_ dangerous. If our paths do not cross, I'll sleep better at night».

«He's just a Mud Man, Captain», scoffed one of the elves. «If you are worried about him, I'll take him on by myself».

Being called a coward and having to witness her own race fall so deep in stupidity was enough to piss her off. «The only thing you'd take if you meet him is a ticket to Hell», she growled menacingly. «Humans can kill fairies even when they haven't years and years of training. If this man is really so dangerous, then it's better if we avoid him altogether».

«With all the respect, Captain, this is bullshit», huffed another young elf. «We have technology they don't even dream of. They won't even _see_ us. We go in, shoot the Mud Men, and go back to Haven».

«Negative, soldier», retorted Holly. « _I_ go in, _I_ shoot the target. You four will stay in the shuttle, in case I need back-up. That way, the Mud Men will think of a lone fairy instead of a real organized team. The less they know, the better. Remember, this is not some funny game of killing Mud Men».

As she returned to the commands, she heard the last thing she had wanted to hear.

«Well, why not? After all, it _is_ funny».

_'Are we really becoming like the Mud People?'_ .

When, less than an hour later, they landed half a mile away from Fowl Manor's wall, Holly was glad to finally get rid of her comrades. She was better off alone, if she needed discretion.


	3. Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One's never too careful.  
> And no, Mud Men don't do that.

Neither Butler nor Juliet had expected their principal to call them for a debriefing. Almost two hours after dinner, the three inhabitants of the house were gathered in Fowl's main office, a room so filled with computers and screens to resemble a NASA control room. The two Butlers were staring at the young Fowl, who was pacing forth and back, not in nervousness as in simple habit.

Finally, he broke the silence.

«Something unexpected came along», he said, instantly making the other two tense up. «It seems that even if the People are peaceful, they do have a limit to that peacefulness».

«I checked their files to monitor the evolving of the situation, and it seems that the Council decided to act against the humans in a less defensive way, at last». With just a glance at Butler, he continued. «Although I do not know _why_ , I know that we've been chosen to be their first target. In a matter of hours, we will be under attack».

«Who?», immediately inquired the huge manservant. «How dangerous are they?».

«A team of six elves», replied the boy, and then shrugged. «Probably they won't come all together. Someone of them must stay behind and keep their base safe».

«Should I activate the security system?».

«It's already activated, old friend. Our greatest advantage is that they don't know we can see them, nor they know we know they're here. We will take them off guard». He smirked. «The only thing to do, now, is to wait. The fairies can't enter a human dwelling, or they lose their magic. Anciently, the curse would have killed them outright, but it faded with time».

«Artemis... if I may... how do you know the fairies so well?», asked Juliet. Butler groaned: the principal hated those kind of question. «I mean... you speak their language, know their traditions, and their plans... but how? I mean, the fairies have improved their defensive systems with the ongoing war. How is it that you can still find your way in?».

He frowned. «I've been the first one to hack their systems, and on my first time I already had a plan. Without them noticing me, I improved their systems. Their technician got all the merit, but no one noticed that I had left myself a rear door. Well, I can't blame them, they were in the middle of a terrible war. My new system was specifically programmed to resist hacks, but... it also let me in at all times». He smiled, vampiric. «With time, I took a look at most of their files. I even deflected a couple of hacks to save them. This has kept the war from being won by the humans».

«Would it be so bad?». Butler groaned again. It was one of the worst question she could have asked. He wondered how could she have been working for Artemis for years and still ask those questions.

«Actually, it would. Humans have proved themselves to be violent. At the Battle of Taillte, they forced the Fairy People underground. If they win this war, it will be a complete slaughter. Fairies are too much technologically advantaged to let them win without losses». He scowled at the thought, then relaxed. «On the other hand, we _are_ humans, so if the fairies win this war, we will probably die alongside everyone else. No, my plan is to make them suffer for a while, and then offer my help».

«In exchange of what?». Finally, a bearable question.

«Acceptance. Or citizenship. Whatever they have», he replied, waving the argument aside as if it didn't matter. «Personally, I prefer the Fairy Folk over the humans, but we will side with the winning specie».

«It sounds... a bit extreme».

«Not at all. Our... _My_ will to join the winner is completely understandable», snorted Fowl. «Personally, I find humans to be despicable, short-sighted and incredibly violent. On the other hand, fairies aren't my race, and probably aren't ready to accept me in their ranks so easily. As for you two... you can go with me, or take your own side».

«That said, I'd prefer us to return to our previous argument, that was the imminent attack at Fowl Manor». He grinned. «And, of course, its failure».

«As much as I respect you, Artemis, this is my field of expertise», said Butler, raising from his chair. «Let me handle this».

«It is exactly what I was going to do, old friend», replied the boy. «I merely wanted to add one more condition: one of them must survive».

The bodyguard looked uncomfortable. «You know it would be far easier for us to get rid of all of them, right?».

«I know, Butler. Believe me, I know». Artemis looked out at one of the screens as if expecting to see a team of elves shooting their way into the house. «But I need you to keep one of them alive, and bring him or her to me».

«Are you sure of this?». As Fowl nodded, Butler was convinced. «Juliet, since I will have to fight, you will be Artemis's bodyguard. Understood?».

«Yes, brother. I got this, don't worry». Her reassurances did very little to ease the Eurasian, but nothing could be done about it. When Artemis Fowl the Second made a choice, it was unlikely for him to step back.

  


Captain Holly Short had landed the shuttle a few hundreds yards from the Fowl land's wall. She was currently flying, unshielded, toward the large building that could only be Fowl Manor, keeping herself high enough to avoid being spotted against the soft green of the grass.

The officer wasn't in a great mood, more than half of her irritation due to her comrades, and only the thought of how near the end of the mission was could lighten her spirits. Yes, she was still going to murder someone, but Commander Root had left her no choice, so it was better for her to get over her disgust and do it.

Now shielding, she hovered nearer to the grass, searching for an entrance, like an open window or something like that. Since they weren't expecting guest, especially not flying and armed ones, it could make sense for them to leave a window open. Normally.

Actually, the pouring rain meant that no window would be open when she would reach the house.

Holly wasn't discouraged. Even if she wasn't very good at subtle break-ins, three clueless Mud Men wouldn't be difficult to take care of. Not when the attacker was armed like she was.

She winced at the thought. _'Attacker. Since when the People attack?'_.

She began circling the house, searching. All the windows she saw were closed, but after a good minutes of soaking under the water she spotted a balcony, upon which she promptly landed. With all the rain, it was improbable one of the Mud Men would come right there.

When she approached the door, she began to feel anxious. The first reason was because the door was unlocked, a normal fact that still managed to instil doubt in her. The second was simply her soldier's instinct.

_'Come on. Why should someone lock the balcony door?'_ .

Had she read the Fowl file thoroughly, she would have known why.

Slowly and silently opening the door, she took a quick peek inside.  No one was in sight. That was both good and bad, since it meant less deaths. It was good because she loathed what she was about to do. Murder. Bad because she had to, and since she couldn't enter the house, she had to wait outside, in the cold and in the rain. Elves couldn't stand the cold.

Her gaze fell on the floor, and there it stopped. Part of her was extremely suspicious of such a coincidence, but the other part was telling her that for Mud Men it was normal. On the floor right in front of her, a large red rug covered the majority of the space. And on it, written in large black letters, there where words.

_**WHOEVER YOU ARE, WELCOME IN FOWL MANOR.** _

The anxiousness in her grew considerably, and she simply couldn't believe she had such a luck. She had just been invited in the house, gifting her of the double advantage of being able to search for her target and not freeze outside.

Very slowly, and still shielding, she closed the door behind her. Her training was screaming to her that she was doing something wrong, but she couldn't understand _what_. Keeping her footsteps as quiet as possible she sneaked out of the door, into the corridor, almost sighing in relief when she didn't see anyone.

_"HOLLY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, IN FROND'S NAME?!"_ ,  Foaly's voice came through the helmet's intercom.  _"You just entered the house!"_ .

«I've been invited... kind of. Don't worry», she whispered, confident that the helmet would block all the sounds inside.

_"Captain, how in the world did you make it inside?"_ , hissed Foaly, clearly trying to restrain himself.  _"The house has cameras. With the storm going on, I doubt you just flew in from an open window"_ .

«I found an unlocked door»., shrugged Holly, continuing her quest for the Fowl heir. «There was a rug, on the floor, that said that anyone is welcome. I guess it counted like an invitation, since I'm feeling pretty fine».

_"You... you found... you found a carpet welcoming you?"_ . Foaly's voice was incredulous.  And scared.  _"A... a carpet?"_ .

«Yes».

_"I... just be careful..."_ .  The centaur was cut off by another voice.  _"Captain, how is the mission proceeding?"_ .

_'Commander Root. Great'_ , she thought. «No sign of the target, Commander, but I think this is normal, since I entered the building just a minute ago».

_"Foaly says that he can't get you a map of the house, so you are on your own"_ .

«It's no problem, sir», replied Holly. «I will search for...». She interrupted herself as she heard heavy footsteps approaching.

_"What is happening, Captain!?"_ , Root's voice bellowed in her earpiece, making her wince.

«A Mud Man is approaching, sir. I am shielded, so there is no danger».

There was a small pause. _"Don't get yourself in danger"_.

«I won't, sir», she reassured him, and then fell silent as a tall, blond Mud Girl turned the corner and walked straight in her direction.

Training her Neutrino at the newcomer's head, she quickly stepped aside, giving the woman enough space to pass.  While she held her breath, the Mud Girl stormed past her, growling curses alongside with some coherent,  heavy-accented words. Thanks to the Gift of Tongues, the elf Captain managed to catch most of them, understanding that she was referring to her principal.

« What's the hell wrong with him?! "Come immediately"! Couldn't he wait ten God-damned minutes?! ».  Along with sentences came coloured curses in a couple of languages. Two of them actually caught Holly's attention due to their vicious sarcasm. She could still learn, after all.

G uessing that the woman would lead her to Fowl, she stealthily stalked her until she found herself in an impossibly large room. A huge, long oaken table was placed in the middle of it, with enough chairs to sit a party. On the other side, a tall door led into the kitchen. However, it wasn't it what her eyes fixed on.

At one end of the table a lone human sat, sipping tea with a great show of manners, always using some tissue to tap his mouth after each sip. Her stomach rumbled and she realized just how hungry she was: it would be still hours before she could finally get to eat something and then collapse into her bed. Tearing her thoughts from her stomach, that grumbled again, feeling mistreated, she trained her eyes on her target.

She had already seen a picture of him, and yet she was stunned. He was incredibly pale and thin for a human, Irish or not, but still he sat straight, with a strength that was clearly more psychical than physical. While she was watching, he brought up a hand and tucked a rebel strand of his raven black hair behind his ear.  _'It will free itself again'_ , thought Holly, surprising herself. Since when she had started caring about hair, especially a Mud Boy's? However, the gesture had let her catch a glimpse of his eyes, both ice-blue like the Arctic's waters and just as cold. For a second, she was captured by his eyes. Blue was a really rare colour in Haven, and not just for elves, and his eyes were the true incarnation of blue. But then she realized that she was looking at the eyes of her target, a person who was basically already dead. Sighing deeply, she aimed her gun. She was disgusted by what she had to do.

Artemis Fowl the Second lifted his gaze from  his lap, where now Holly could clearly see a laptop,  and the corners of his lips tugged up in a slight smile.

« Hello, Captain »,  he said in Gnommish .

I n an instant, Holly was deep both in shock and shit.  First of all, the human knew where she was: he had addressed her looking  _directly_ at her! That meant he could see her somehow, even if she was shielding. Second, he wasn't surprised by her presence, and that meant he knew about her mission. And he wasn't at all afraid of it. Third, he knew her grade. And fourth, he had spoken in Gnommish, immediately marking him as an outstanding individual. For someone who rarely exited his mansion, he knew far too many things. However, before she could shoot him square in the chest, someone shot her square in the shoulder, the force of the projectile making her spin around. Behind the door he had entered from there was a huge Mud Man.

_'Of course'_ , she thought.  _'The bodyguard! How could I be so stupid? A good bodyguard never leaves his charge alone!'_ .

« Good shot, Butler »,  said a cold voice from behind her. Fowl's English had just the slightest Irish accent, and she didn't even need to use her Gift of Tongues. She knew a bit of English, and surely she knew the word "shot".

H owever, her thoughts began to blur, making thinking a very difficult task indeed. In a few seconds, Captain Holly Short  fell unconscious, her last coherent sensation the one of two gentle arms stopping her fall and slowly lowering her to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, rain is common in Ireland. I live in Ireland myself, although I'm not a native. And it is rainy.  
> But it's also magical. After all, isn't Ireland the land of the People?


	4. Meeting

Artemis Fowl II wasn't easily impressed. Even as he bent to examine the fairy intruder, he kept his attitude as cool and relaxed as normal. Slipping the helmet off the newcomer's head, he couldn't stop a low hum to reach his throat. New discoveries were awaiting, and he surely enjoyed reaching new knowledges.

He considered the elf's small frame, still in his arms, and decided that the somniferous dart's contents would be enough to keep her asleep until the next day. Absent-mindedly, he flipped over her helmet and  fidgeted with the wires in it, quickly shutting off the signal to Haven.  He then studied the tiny creature he was still preventing from touching the floor.

She looked like a miniaturized human, with nut-brown skin, pointy ears and auburn hair. He wondered if all elves had dark skin. Usually, creatures living far from sunlight were very pale, but after all living underground could also have made them adapt and develop a darker shade of skin to blend with the colours of rocks and earth. He gently opened one of her eyes, and upon seeing their hazel shade of brown, he nodded satisfied, letting the eyelid fall again. She was pretty... in a pointy sort of way.

«Butler?», he called out, knowing that his manservant was nearby. «Is the guest room ready?».

«Yes, sir».

«Very well», he nodded again, standing up and lifting the elf with him. Then he turned and handed her over to Butler. «Bring her there. She should wake up tomorrow, but it's better to keep an eye on her. While she's asleep, have Juliet change her clothes into something... less traceable... and bring me her equipment».

«Yes, sir», affirmed Butler, taking the elf from his charge. In his large arms, she looked like a baby. «Should we be expecting other elves?».

«Oh, yes. Definitely yes», grinned Artemis. «I'm looking forwards to see them».

«Aren't they going to just blow up the Manor?».

«Highly unlikely, if this is what worries you, Butler», nonchalantly replied Fowl. «I expect them to come and set up a time stop. Then to try to "convince" me to release their Captain, which I won't. It's likely they will try for ransom. And finally they will launch a bio-bomb on the house».

«Are you sure you know what you're doing?».

«Do you trust me?».

«Yes», said Butler, without breaking a sweat. «I trust you with my life. But be careful with my sister's».

Artemis gave him his vampiric smile. «Don't worry. I will».

Satisfied with his principal's answer, the manservant turned and walked out of the room, calling Juliet after him. Shortly after they disappeared from sight, the boy picked up the fairy's helmet and returned to the table, taking another sip from his tea. The technology was extremely advantaged, and even if he had hacked the fairy systems multiple times, he couldn't help being somewhat impressed.

But there were more important things to do. He quickly removed the tracker from the helmet, walking out of the room to prepare his next move. He only hoped he would be able to see the fairies's faces after he'd played them his trick. He would enjoy it. The fairies would like it a bit less.

Upon reaching the bathroom, his destination, he smirked. _'Th_ _is_ _is really called foul play'_ , he thought amused. Then he shook himself. It wasn't time for jokes. With a careless flip of his hand, he sent the little device straight into the toilet, and then flushed it with his usual grin. _'Track that, little fairies'_ , he snickered as the tracker disappeared from sight.

Walking back, he found that Butler had already returned to the dining room, and the elf's uniform was now on the table. It was, just like the helmet, technologically advantaged. He himself had "helped" design those suits, and he was actually proud they had finally put some of his tips into use. The fairy gun, that he instantly recognized as a Neutrino handgun, was laid beside it. It was surely an interesting piece of technology, and probably Butler would have been elated to build a Butler-sized rifle with the Neutrino's laser beam technique, but for now it was only a secondary issue.

His first one had to wait until the elf woke up.

  


Commander Root and Consultant Foaly bickered all the time, on even the minutest thing, but now they were as silent as two blocks of stone. The feed from Holly's helmet had been cut, and instantly there had been radio silence. The Captain's tracker had stopped moving for a second, and then it returned to move.

Barely a minute later, Holly's suit life readings went flat.

It took them a good ten seconds before the Commander burst out of the door, immediately calling for a Retrieval team and for medic warlocks. Foaly began to type commands in his console, hoping it was just a bug or another glitch. _'I sent Holly to the most dangerous of the list'_ , he thought horrified, his hands stopping for a second.

But then determination won over horror. If there was even just a small chance Holly had survived, he would have pursued it.

Outside the Ops (a humoristic slang for Operations) Booth, the Commander was busy directing everyone to their right place. Actually, in his mind, everyone's place would have been on the Fowl grounds, a gun in their hands and a fairy to rescue, but he knew he had to follow the rules, no matter how frustrating they could make him feel. Without hesitance, he chose to go by himself, arming himself with a large three-barrelled gun, the kind of gun that could blow a hole through a troll's head. If used at its maximum power, of course: troll's skulls were extremely thick. Since the head was still bigger than a fairy's, and the brain was far smaller than a fairy's, the rest of the space had been claimed by the bone, making it almost impossible to break through.

With completely no kindness he brusquely informed Foaly that he was going with them, and to bring all his toys. Three hours later, what really resembled a small army rushed out of Police Plaza to the shuttle port. Foaly had traced Holly's signal to be now far off Fowl Manor. It followed a path that looked pretty bizarre to him, but he dared not to mention it to Root. He never liked theories, even less when his best officer was at stake.

What was really sticking to his hoof was that he hadn't been able to find out anything about the Fowl's parents, nor about his bodyguard's family, not even Fowl Manor's blueprints. And he hadn't been able to hack the Fowl's security system in time to alert Holly of the danger. In time... actually, he simply failed to hack it.

In a few hours they would be at the damn Fowl's house, ready to get their man... woman... back into the force. It was absolutely... well, almost absolutely... the first case of a kidnapped fairy. Yes, a couple of them had been sighted or even _grabbed_ , but never held captive. There had been, in the past centuries, cases of kidnapped fairies.

Curiously, all of the abductions had been performed by a member of the Fowl family. Another reason to have put him not on top, but on _bottom_. The Fowls had always been really bonded to magic, although half of them were Catholic, and their insignia was a large  four-leafed clover with the letters "DR", "AÍ", "OC" and "HT" on the respective leaves. "Draíocht". Magic, in Irish. The Fowls were perfectly aware of the meaning of their blazon, and were really proud of it. The whole clover was contained in a large golden coin, with tiny, unreadable writings all round its circumference. It really explained their motto: "aurum potestas est". Gold is power.

_ 'Well' _ , thought Foaly.  _ 'They do have power' _ .

From the files he managed to have a look at, the Fowl boy was the only Fowl in the world. Of course he had far cousins and uncles and aunts, but he was the only one to bear the name of Fowl.  _ 'It would be a pity for him not to continue his bloodline' _ , snorted the centaur. He had the creepy feeling that this Fowl wasn't someone he wanted to meet or even just know about.

Unfortunately, he was going straight to him.

  


Captain Holly Short, only female officer of the LEP, one of the best marksmen -and markswomen- of the fairy police, who had completed several successful recognitions, woke up at the weak light that came through the window. Immediately aware, she noticed three things in less than three seconds.

First, she was shackled, or rather tied, to the bed she was laying on. Nothing too uncomfortable, just enough not to let her move out of the bed or sit straight. She could still roll on a side and sleep something more. But she didn't.

Second, she wasn't wearing her LEP suit any more.  _ 'Oh Frond, Julius will kill me for losing my uniform' _ , she moaned. Now she was wearing something that really resembled the tailored suit of the Mud Boy, Fowl. Black pants and jacket coupled with a spotless white shirt. And it was  _ Armani _ . Probably it costed more than what she received in two months of work. And it fitted her perfectly.

Third, there was someone else in the room. The blond Mud Girl,  with large glasses and painted nails, was sitting on the floor, messing with her phone. It took Holly quite some time before she could realize that no, she wasn't dreaming, and yes, she had just been captured by the Mud Men.

She tried to speak, half of her wanting to curse the girl and the other half wanting to ask where did she was, and why had they captured her, but all that exited her mouth was a groan halfway between pained and angry. She had to admit that it quite summed up how she felt right now.

However, it was enough to catch the blonde's attention.  She turned to face the elf laying on the king-sized bed and cocked an eyebrow.

«Wow. So cool. Artemis said you could speak English», she commented with a light smirk. «Well, maybe he was wrong. Although it would almost be the first time».

_ 'What is she babbling about?' _ , wondered Holly, but she cleared her throat before trying again. «Who are you? Where am I? What do you want?».

«Mmh», hummed the blonde, tapping her chin. «I really shouldn't be talking with you. If someone will talk, that's Artemis. I guess he will be happy to know you're awake, although he probably won't show it, he's always so cold, but nonetheless he ordered me to tell him when you wake up, so...».

While Holly blinked several times to understand the long, barely coherent sentence she had just said, the Mud Girl took a small communicator from her belt and muttered a "She's awake" in it before returning to face her.

«Artemis will be here shortly. I bet he was awake and waiting».

_ ' He'll be... shortly? That's not good...' _ , thought Holly. If Fowl was the head of all of it, and that "all of it" managed to capture her, then probably Fowl was someone really dangerous.

After all, he was first on Foaly's list.

« Who... who is this Artemis? »,  she dared to ask. Maybe the blonde would give her something to think about.  « Is he the boss, here? I thought he was just a child... ».

The Mud Girl burst into laughters.  « Oh God, a child! Just to let you know, he's sixteen! And "child" isn't exactly the best description... you'll see when you'll see him ».

S he took a few seconds to steady herself before continuing.  « Artemis Fowl the Second, son of Artemis Fowl the First and Angeline Fowl,  heir of the Fowl family name, financial  _ and _ criminal empire. The most intelligent person I ever met, probably also the most intelligent one in the entire world. Yes, he is definitely the boss, here. Another thing you'll see later ».

« And why am I here? »,  asked Holly again.  « Why didn't you... why didn't you  _ kill _ me? ».

« Because, Captain Short, we have nothing to lose in keeping you alive and everything to gain »,  from the doorway came a voice that was like an icy shower.

She turned slowly to look at her capturer. Even if she had already had a glance at him, she couldn't stop her military training, and that involved acknowledging any detail that could be important in the future. On the doorway there were two figures. One was Butler, Fowl's huge bodyguard. More than six feet tall, and so basically twice her own height, the manservant wore a black suit that matched his charge's perfectly. His head was completely bald, and he had no beard or moustaches. The other figure, however, was both smaller and more intimidating. She didn't know why, since the bodyguard was  _ obviously _ a bigger threat as he could snap her back using no more than his hands, but just looking at the boy who had apparently organized everything sent chilly shivers down her spine.

He was between five and six feet tall, she hazarded a five and  four inches or so, and this time his raven hair was perfectly kept away from his eyes, looking freshly showered and dried. He had a very pale skin, something that reminded her of a vampire, and was really thin. Just like the day before... or at least what she  _ hoped _ had been the day before... he wore a two-piece black Armani suit paired with a white shirt and a black tie. As she met his eyes, she felt herself tense up. His eyes were extremely similar to two pools of Arctic water, just like she had already noticed, both in shade and coldness. The effect was at the same time ruined and emphasised by the dark circles under his eyes. It seemed like he hadn't slept in days.  _ 'Good to hear' _ , snickered Holly.

« Good morning, Captain. I hope you've slept fine »,  greeted her Artemis Fowl II, politely bowing his head.

«Always better than you did», shot back the elf, a bit deluded when he didn't even flinch at the venom in her voice.  « _ Fowl _ ».

« There are a few things that I need to take care of, before we start the tour of the house »,  continued Fowl, undeterred, closing the distance from her. Butler went to the other side of the bed and clasped a huge hand on her mouth, completely stopping her from saying a single word. She tried to bite the hand, but with no response. 

«You are  _ not _ allowed to leave the house. You are  _ not _ allowed to harm, directly or indirectly, me, Butler or Juliet. You are  _ not _ allowed to plan your escape», said Fowl, looking directly in her eyes.  _ 'Shit. He knows' _ , she thought desperately. She did not close her eyes: he would just have the Mud Girl keep them open by force.  « You are  _ not _ allowed to purposefully damage any object in the Butlers's or my possession s . You are  _ not _ allowed to try to contact your friends or superior officers, nor anyone else outside me, Butler and Juliet. Did you understand me? ».  Butler's hand pressure decreased a bit to let her speak.

_ ' God damn him, he formulated the rules pretty smartly' _ , she cursed silently. Then she scoffed in response.

«Did you understand me?», asked Fowl again, locking his gaze with hers. She understood then why Juliet had said "you'll see when you'll see him". Artemis Fowl the Second was no normal teenager. He had the dictionary, manners and personality of an adult. A cold-hearted adult, but an adult nonetheless. In his eyes, Holly saw that trying to ignore him would have been useless. He was patient, more than she was, and had both Butlers on his side.

«Yes», she finally muttered, the word slightly muffled by Butler's hand, tearing her gaze from his. Immediately, the manservant remove his hand from her mouth and began to untie her. Incredulous, she just stared as the huge Eurasian freed her in a matter of a couple of minutes.

«I had in mind a little tour of Fowl Manor», said Artemis Fowl. He stopped when her stomach rumbled loudly, making her blush in deep shame.  _ 'What a timing' _ , she groaned.  « But I think it would be better for you to have breakfast first ».

« I... ».

« I'm perfectly aware of your hatred for meat dishes, and I can assure you that our cuisine is completely vegetarian, as I am vegetarian myself »,  Fowl replied to her unsaid objection.  « Come with us. What kind of host would I be if I'd let you be hungry any longer? I can assure you, Butler is an exceptional cook ».


	5. Breakfast

Captain Holly Short of the LEP Recon glared daggers at her captivator, the Fowl boy, as she walked beside him toward the Manor's dining room.  It wasn't enough to have captured her. He had to pretend to be a gracious host with his prisoner as if nothing happened and she had just dropped by. She wondered if he got under everyone's skin like that or if she was particularly affected by his hideous behaviour.

«I see you are not enjoying yourself, Captain Short», noted Fowl, raising an eyebrow.  « I can assure you, as long as you are not a threat to my health or my employers', I guess you could consider yourself my guest. Guests do not scowl constantly at their host s ».

« Guest! »,  spat Holly, growling at him.  « You captured me! How am I supposed to consider myself a  _ guest _ ? ».

« If that's the case, I have to remind you that your aggression was entirely unjustifiable, and that I "capture" you only after my bodyguard neutralized your offensive »,  replied the boy, his voice cold and even.  « It was in my rights to have Butler shoot you in the head, with his Sig Sauer, instead of stunning you. You  _ are _ a guest, Captain, Otherwise, you would be dead ».

Holly looked away. How could she argue, if she actually agreed that her act wasn't a good one? But even in her disgust, she was determined to win the argument.  « Then why didn't you? ».

« There are many reasons, actually »,  smirked Fowl, revealing his perfect white teeth.  « First of all I'm not a murderer. Second, the information I will be able to get from you will be priceless. The Manor is large enough to contain one more person, and keeping you as a guest won't be a salty price to pay ».

« There's the small detail that I won't tell you anything ».

«You already are, Captain.  I don't need you to tell me about the LEP »,  said Fowl, his smile becoming more sinister  as she gasped in surprise .  « Yes, I know about the Lower Elements Police, and it happens I also know your position in the Recognition section, your rank, your commander Julius Root and your technician Foaly. I know about the Council and I know about many other things ».

She just stared at him wide-eyed.

« As I said, I know much about the LEP. Probably even more than you do. But I don't know much about the fairies »,  he continued, his vampire-like smile spreading on his face.  « Your behaviour. How you think. Your culture. Your ideals. Your mind. This is what you will tell me, willing or not. Unless you decide to freeze for the rest of your life, I fear you won't be able to deny me the information I ask you, as I will guess them from your very behaviour ».

She was shocked. There was a huge difference between capturing a fairy and knowing that much about fairies. And then she felt the anger building up inside her. Narrowing her eyes, she stepped right in front of the boy, halting him in his tracks, and scowled at him dangerously.  « It had been you.  _ You _ have been the one to start the war!  _ You _ found our signals!  _ You _ caused hundreds of people, fairies and Mud Men alike, to die in this war! ».

« I fear you are on the wrong path »,  calmly replied Fowl, not losing a tad of his attitude.

«I AM NOT!», yelled Holly, stomping her foot and causing the noise to echo in the empty corridor. Butler hinted to put himself between the furious elf and his charge, but the boy stopped him with a hand.  « DO YOU REALIZE HOW MANY DID YOU KILL!?!  YOU  _ ARE _ A MURDERER!! ».

« As I said, you're wrong »,  repeated Fowl.  « Had I been the one to start, I would be allied with the humans, and the war would have been won a long time ago ».

« YOU MONSTER! »,  screeched the Captain, taking an enraged step toward the despicable Mud Boy, who was beginning to lose part of his coolness. He frowned and his smirk left his face. She could feel the irritation underneath the icy composure, and was pleased to know that  _ she _ was the cause for said irritation. Again, he had to stop his manservant from acting.  « _ How can you be so relaxed about it?! Do you realize how many  _ families _ you destroyed!? _ ».

At the word "families", Fowl seemed to lose what remained of his ice, revealing sheer willpower focused on just one emotion: anger. Butler seemed to flinch and took a careful step back, despite being twice as large as the boy.

« The humans found you because it was impossible to prevent »,  he hissed furiously.  « You suppose that fairies could have kept themselves hidden forever. It's not true. What you  _ could _ have done, but you can no more, was to try a peaceful approach. Neither side even contemplated such a solution, and this war is the result ».

« DON'T ACT LIKE AN INNOCENT, FOWL!! »,  shouted Holly, clenching her fist.  « BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT!! ».

« I am not, am I? »,  scoffed the Mud Boy.  « Tell me, Captain,  _ what _ did I do, other than capturing you after you threatened my life  _ with no reason _ ? ».

She opened her mouth to reply, but she found that she couldn't. He was right, he hadn't done anything. Foaly had reputed him very dangerous for his intellect and how the humans could use it in the war, but he hadn't said he was actually  _ involved _ in the war. Her arguments were getting fewer and fewer.

« Tell me, Captain, how is the LEP security system going? Because, from what I know, you have just received a "miracle". A new system, that the humans won't be able to hack so easily »,  Fowl mocked her.  « And tell me, Captain, don't you think that, had I been siding with the humans, I would have been defended by half an army, if I'm so dangerous? Surely I wouldn't have lived in here, where the first officer the Council sent could have found me ».

Holly was speechless, something that was beginning to happen worryingly often with the Fowl boy. Her mind was trying to understand what her subconscious had already guessed.

« How... you... didn't side... with the Mud People? »,  she managed to ask, a barely coherent sentence that made Fowl snort.

«Don't you think that, in that case, you would have waken up in a maximum security facility?», he remarked, glaring at her.  « Go on, I'm eager to see how much time it will take you to guess ».

« How do you know about the new system? »,  continued Holly, this time with a bit more voice.  « Foaly said no human had hacked the system ».

« Hacked. Don't make me laugh »,  huffed Fowl.  « Your system is a Hoplite 6.4 Improved Defence Hyper System, or IDHS, that needs at least  a tera byte of hard disk to work, due to its massive anti-hack code defences.  It was installed yesterday in the late afternoon, by Foaly, who found it in his old system designs. Don't you think that he would have noticed an old but effective system? ».

« You... know about that? ».

« My own security system is a Supernova 2.0 Hyper System with attached an Advantaged Hack Extension 11.5, a Hack Track-Sweeper 5.5 and a Grid-Gate Block Security Warder 4.8, and this means that I can hack any system without leaving traces, because the HTS stores in its memory how the hacked system was configured. So, if I just have a look at the files and softwares, it automatically cancels any track I could have left behind »,  explained Fowl, grinning as he saw that he lost her.  « The GGBSW is, as its names says, a grid gate. I can select the files I want other to hack and let them hack them, while hiding my personal ones. So, if someone hacks my system, he thinks to have succeeded  because the GGBSW uses a lesser system security for them , while he instead failed miserably  as my files are protected by a full grade security . And finally, the AHE  can break through any security system, human or fairy, without many difficulties. You will be happy to know that for most of the AHE, HTS and GGBSW codes I have been inspired by the fairy systems, although I made significant modifications ».

« I... what...? »,  stammered Holly. Now it was clear to her that Foaly had always robbed his explanations of most of their technical part, as she was now completely at loss.

«Long story short, I can monitor the fairy files every time I want to, while you can only see what I want you to see», finished Fowl.  « If I recall right, Foaly didn't find the blueprints of Fowl Manor, nor did he find anything  _ useful _ . Just enough for you to reach me ».

It took her a couple of minutes, but at the end she understood what her guts were trying to tell her -apart from her hunger-, and that shocked her far more than she had expected.  « You... you gave Foaly the system? ».

« Bingo »,  smirked the boy, his anger slowly fading.  « Took your time, Captain, but I have to say that I expected you to take much longer. You are brilliant, despite your... heated  demeanour ».

« But... why? »,  asked Holly, feeling her image of Artemis Fowl II beginning to creak. And she wasn't sure if she really wanted to know Fowl's true intentions.  « Why aren't you siding with your race? ».

« For the same reason as you aren't. I despise humanity »,  retorted her captivator... or was he a host?  « Because they are unnecessarily violent, stupid and belligerent, or at least most of them. After all, which was the specie that had to flee underground? Thousands of year have passed, but humans' mentality  haven't changed that much. A bit kinder. A bit smarter. But just a bit. Not enough for me to side with them ».

« Then... why aren't you siding with us? ».

« Because I  _ am _ human. I'm not an elf or a centaur or a pixie. I'm a human »,  replied Fowl, resuming to walk.  « I would not be accepted so easily. However, I'd suggest we have breakfast, now. You must be starving ».

Right on cue, her stomach growled, making her look away from him. Why did officers' stomachs have to be like everyone else' s ? Couldn't she just  _ not _ be hungry?

  


Artemis Fowl the Second sat at the table with his usual composure, together with his menservants. Normally, the two Butlers would have eaten before Master Fowl, especially because they usually weren't picky and ate just a sandwich instead of cooking. But that time it was a special one, and all the three -now four- inhabitants of Fowl Manor were there.

Holly seemed slightly annoyed when Butler offered her a chair next to Artemis, but  it disappeared as soon as the manservant placed a large plate of waffles, eggs, beans and buttered toast in front of her, before placing plates in front of everyone else.  _ 'The guest first' _ , she thought, and it annoyed her. Did she have to really consider herself a guest?

Then her irritation was replaced by a fourth rumble from her stomach. As she began to attack the waffles and the toasts, Juliet placed three large glasses and a cup in front of her. Water, milk, orange juice and Irish tea. She instantly gave up trying to understand  _ why _ would they use three different glasses. After swallowing a mouthful of deliciously cooked waffle, she took a large sip from the juice glass, pleasantly shivering as the icy liquid reached her stomach before returning to the task at hand... or rather at fork.

The other three ate in silence. Fowl was a perfect incarnation of manners. Butler was only slightly less graceful, but he was definitely way over his sister. Juliet ate like a normal person, silent but not focused on her posture and movements. Holly was definitely the worst of the four, eating with gusto and speed and quickly emptying her plate. As she sighed in contentment and leant back on her chair, she caught Master Fowl looking at her. As she quickly composed herself, he turned to his manservant and nodded once. The huge Eurasian nodded in confirmation and stood, taking Holly's empty plate and returning to the kitchen. Less than two minutes later, he returned with another plateful of food, and placed it back in front of the elf. Then he refilled her three glasses and cup before sitting back at his place and resuming to eat.

With a small "thanks", she straightened herself and grabbed her fork again. This time she couldn't arrive halfway through her plate, and she sighed happily, stretching far and wide. Then she realized she was letting her guard down while in enemy territory, and was instantly aware.

« Do not worry, Captain, we have no intention to hurt you »,  Fowl reassured her.  « I hope you will still enjoy the dessert ».

« Do you... always eat this much? »,  asked Holly, trying to stay on her guard even if she was so full and at peace with the world that all she wanted to do was smile.

«This is breakfast, Captain», noted Fowl, sipping his tea.  « Here in Ireland the traditional meals are different from the rest of the world's. Breakfast and dinner are both abundant, while lunch is usually very light. Dinner also tends to be something warm, but that is up to the cook to decide »,  he finished, briefly glancing at Butler.

Holly opened her mouth to reply, but a loud voice interrupted her and made everyone look out of the window.

« Fowl, you have captured one of our officers, Captain Holly Short. In time of war, we are  allowed to  attack any threat, and you are now a threat. Surrender peacefully and you will receive a tribunal. Resist and we will have to force you to return our officer! ».


	6. Lost Revelations

Commander Julius Root and Consultant Foaly watched carefully as their shuttle hovered over the waves. Under them, the sea extended to their left and right, at the horizon visible the Irish and Scottish coast. Captain Short's tracker was down there.

«No submarine, Commander», called a voice from the pilot cabin. «If Captain Short is down there, she's dead».

«Foaly, what about her suit? Is it still sending the life readings?», asked Root, turning to the centaur.

«I... yes, sir, but it's bad news», sighed Foaly, showing a screen to the elf. «Everything... flat. No t a beat. No t a breath. Nothing. Her bodily temperature is too low for a living being.  I... I think she's dead ».

Commander Root wasn't someone to despair easily. He had lost many a man during his long military career, and he knew how it felt.  « Foaly, are you completely sure about it? Can't... can't the suit have short-circuited? A malfunction, maybe... ».

« No, sir, the suit is completely functional. Its readings are accurate, I can assure you »,  said the technician, sighing. He was already tired. So tired. He rarely exited his safe Ops Booth, especially not to go on a rescue mission.  « If Holly is down there, then... ».

At that point, a shy-looking elf dared to raise a hand.  « Ehm, Mr Foaly... this is the temperature reading, right? ».

« Yes, it is »,  snorted Foaly.  « How did you get it? Maybe because there's a "grades" on it, right? ».

« And it is reading the suit's actual temperature? ».

« Of course, what should it be reading?», scoffed the centaur. «The Sun's temperature? ».

« Then, if Captain Short is down there, why her body is above ten Celsius grades? ».

Foaly opened her mouth to snap back, but then closed it.  « Wait... ».

T he elf was swift to catch his moment of glory.  « Then maybe her suit's not there! Maybe her captivator removed her equipment in order to keep himself safe! ».

« Commander, I ask you to promote this soldier to technician and assign him to my department immediately »,  said Foaly, and a wave of relief passed over the young soldier's face.

«What are you babbling about? Is Short alive?», yelled Root, his face almost glowing in rage.

«Fowl is smart, Commander. He probably removed the tracker for us to follow it and give him time. I do not know how did he know where to touch the helmet not to destroy the tracker, but we will find out later», said Foaly, excitedly.  « And if he removed her helmet, then he may also have removed her suit. And thus the readings can't read any pulse because she's no wearing it any more ».

There was a small silence after his words.

« But if Captain Short is not wearing the suit... »,  wondered the elf.  « _ What _ is she wearing? ».

Another pause.

« We'd better get to Fowl quickly »,  ordered Commander Root.  « Before that Fowl gets too cheeky ».

«Second that», replied Foaly, while the young elf rushed to the cabin to inform the pilot of their new destination. Fowl Manor.

  


More than an hour later, they landed in the Fowl grounds, catching up with the rest of Holly's team. The five elves were terrified by their possible, and probable, punishment, but Commander Root didn't threaten them, nor did he scold them.  He simply looked at them, and they immediately knew they were in trouble.

However, the Commander did not stop after glaring at the elves, but went directly to the base of operations that had been built twelve hundreds yards from Fowl Manor. There he ordered Foaly to  _ find a way to get in the God damned house _ and then left, heading back to the shuttle to retrieve some extra weaponry and to send  a SWAT  (Special Weapons and Tactics) team  to monitor the Manor, ordering them to stick near the front door.

«Remember, Fowl doesn't know we are here, so if he'll exit, he'll exit from the front door», he said, red as usual.  « Captain Kelp, you'll be the leader. If he shows his muddy nose, shoot him to Hell ».

Meanwhile, Foaly decided to try and hack the Fowl system. He was pretty proud of his new security, and was sure that Mud Boy wouldn't be able to hack it to save his life.  His new Hoplite 6.4 was too good for him.

As first move, he decided to try and hack the Fowl house's cameras and surveillance. It would be funny to catch him still in bed, although he seriously wouldn't like to see a showering Mud Man. Embarrassing the enemy was a double-edge weapon: it let you make him uncomfortable, but it also made everything far more hostile.

_'More hostile than abduction?'_ , thought the centaur.  _'Difficult, although not impossible'_ .

I t took him more than forty minutes of incessant typing, but at the end he had a map of the Fowl grounds. He was very perplexed by the fact that he couldn't find the house's blueprints.  _'I must be losing my touch'_ , he told himself. There was no other explanation.  Especially the one about Fowl having a better defensive system.

But what he got was enough. In addition to Fowl ground's maps, he had managed to find some files about Fowl himself, and he could finally debrief the Commander about who were they up against.

«I must say: I'm impressed by this Fowl's intelligence», began Foaly as soon as Root entered the room, already in a bad mood. «He captured Holly, and managed to keep most of his files hidden. But nothing can hide from me, as you well know».

«Get on with it, before I make you a supplementary ass hole in your head», snapped the elf, astonishing the centaur with his unusual rudeness.

«I... Er... Yes, of course», stuttered the technician. «Artemis Fowl II. Sixteen. Heir of the Fowl empire, both financial... and criminal. The boy is a criminal mastermind, from what I can see, but has no knowledge of the People».

«Then how could he catch Captain Holly?».

«We are here to find that out, Jul... Commander», he hastily corrected himself at the look on Julius's face. «I think that the best way to approach him is directly. Since he holds Holly captive, he probably won't be so surprised to find other fairies in his grounds... And if you can get to talk with him...».

«No way. I'm sending the SWAT team. We'll see what they can do».

«But they can't...».

«No, they can't enter the house», bit back Root. «But even this Fowl must exit. He can't stay there forever».

«Yes, Commander».

«I'll be in the command room, if you find something new».

«One last thing!».

«What?».

«I... Nothing, sir. Just a theory, but I know how you are with theories».

«Yes, you  know »,  snarled the elf.  « Make it real, and I'll listen ».

« Yes, sir ».

«What was it about?».

«Fowl, J... sir».

«Then you'd better prove it soon», threatened the Commander, exiting the room. «The more we know about him, the better».

Behind him, Foaly growled in frustration.  _'"Prove it"'_ , he scoffed.  _'It's what I'm trying to do'_ .

  


Two hundreds forty-eight minutes later, at the early hours after dawn,  Foaly galloped into the command room, almost trampling three elves and two sprites whom had the misfortune to be standing in his way.

W hile it was quite a rare event to see the centaur running at such a speed, as he was usually confined in his Ops Booth and so limited in his space, it was also clear that even Foaly himself wasn't used to such a rush, and his ragged breath proved it as he staggered in the room where Commander Root was shouting orders.

«Julius, I think you should...». He stopped dead when the elf shot him a withering glance. « Commander, I recommend you set up a meeting with Fowl to... talk? I mean, to find out what does he wants... maybe there... maybe we can find a peaceful solution... I mean,  Fowl is smart... it  _could_ be better for us to... hear him out... see if we can... find a better solution than... slaughtering everyone... ».

Commander Julius Root wasn't the kind of elf to accept stammering.  « The Council gave me clearance.  Lieutenant  Cudgeon  is getting cheeky, so hurry with the news! ».

« Not news as much as thoughts ».  He cringed at the Commander's glare.  « I... Fowl is extremely intelligent. Setting up a meeting could lead us to know more about him, and the more you know about your enemy, the easier he is to defeat... ».

« The SWAT team has already alerted Fowl of our presence »,  grunted Root. After all, then, he really did trust the centaur.  « If he wants to contact us, he'll call back. Otherwise, I fear we'll have to shoot our way in ».

« But... ».

« Yes, this way Fowl will probably kill Captain Short right away, but we don't have many choices ».

  


« I do not wish any disturbance while I am working, Butler. I hope you'll manage to handle that. Nobody enters until I say so »,  ordered Artemis, closing the door behind himself.  « Not even you, old friend ».

Left alone with Juliet and Captain Short to stare at the oaken door, the manservant shook himself and turned to face the two women.  « Well, you heard him. The door's locked, so nobody can enter unless he tramples the door, and it's reinforced. Fairy, you can return to the guest room. Since Artemis told you the rules, I guess you can go alone. I need a word with Juliet. Do not try... well, one of the rules is against plotting your escape, so I guess I have nothing else to say. Go ».

H olly felt intimidated by the stern tone of the human, and she obliged without protesting, but inside she was burning with curiosity. The LEP had found her, so she was basically already free, since the fairy police was an  _army_ , but the knowledges this Fowl had were too much a temptation not to dwell. So, as soon as the Butlers were out of sight, she stopped and shielded, silently hurrying back to listen to whatever conversation the Fowl's accomplices had to have.

They had retreated in a room and closed the door, but Holly's fairy ears were far more sensible than humans', so she managed to hear what were they saying.

«... ell you never to bring up that with Artemis!? »,  was hissing Butler, and his voice was followed by a thump, probably caused by him slamming his huge hands on a table.  « Do  _not_ mention his hatred for humans! Never ever  _ever_ ! ».

« By brother, why shouldn't I? I mean,  _he_ can mention my hatred for soft music, and it's a hatred just like his ».  Juliet's tone was petulant.  « What makes him any different? ».

« He... Wait a second ».  For a second, Holly feared that the large man would open the door and send her crashing against the opposite wall, but she only heard some messing with wires.  « Here. Now we can speak ».

« Why don't you want Artemis to hear us? ».  Suspicious.  « That's a violation to the bodyguard's etiquette, you know? »

« He doesn't want to hear it. It's not something pleasant ».

« Why? ».

« It concerns his family ».

Juliet fell silent. From the other side of the door, Holly gasped.  _'Finally something new about the infamous criminal mastermind who captured me'_ , she thought, a grin slowly spreading on her face.

« Hi-His family? »,  stammered Juliet. Highly unusual for her.  « He-He never s-speaks about them... ».

« But first, Juliet, you must promise that you won't tell  _anyone_ . This argument will be forgotten and you'll stop asking stupid questions, okay? ».

« O-Okay ».

« Swear ».

« I swear I-I won't tell anyone ».

« Very well... »,  sighed Butler. Holly could almost  _hear_ him slumping.  « As you know, his family is dead. What matter is how ».

« Four years ago, just as the first fairy sighting had begun, the American government decided to counter the People's ability to fly -which we know is just due to their equipment, a knowledge that very few have- with a project on their own. They gathered the most intelligent men and women of the world to experiment this project ».

« What was it about? ».

« Not now »,  snapped Butler, and then sighed again. He seemed to struggle to find the next words.  « Artemis... I guess he... he was called as well, and...  he directed many of the experiments ».

« I don't know the details, as I was mostly kept out of the laboratories, but what happened in there changed Artemis forever ».  Holly snapped into attention.  « He had always been... unrespectful for the laws and a criminal, but he wasn't  _evil_ right away. After the experiments... he returned mad. What happened in there drove him mad. Literally ».

_'Mud Boy is mad?'_ , hummed Holly.  _'Interesting'_ .

«They forced him... for the first time someone forced Artemis Fowl II... to decide the operations. The details of the operations. It was something extremely precise... and unheard of. He had to guess».

«What happened?».

«The American government was obsessed by the People's threat. That experiment was their priority. Artemis had to guess for the doses and all...». His voice took a pained tone.  « His family had to undergo as human guinea pigs ».

Holly felt her heart stop. She knew that humans were terrible, but this? This was way worse than the worst she had ever imagined. For the People it wasn't even illegal: it wasn't necessary. Not even the most evil mad scientist would do something like that.

« His mother was first. But Artemis couldn't calculate the right operations. Nobody had ever done it before. They expected him to, since he was a genius, but even he had his limits. He failed. One, two, three times he failed ».  His voice trailed off.  « Angeline, Artemis Senior, and then Beckett ».

« Beckett!?! »,  exclaimed Juliet, outraged.  « He was just five! ».

« They were being paranoid »,  dryly explained Butler.  « At the fourth attempt, he chose right. But Myles was too young and his body too weak and he couldn't stand it. He went in coma for two weeks before he died ».

« And... did they stop then? ».

« No. Artemis made one last experiment, on himself. I think he was hoping to be killed as well, but his sixth try succeeded. He survived the experiments, and he's still here to bear the scars ».  He fell silent for a second.  « He faults himself for their deaths. He hates mistakes because mistakes are what killed his parents. And he hates humanity as well ».

« But he  _is_ human! ».

« Sometimes I do not think so »,  replied the manservant.  « However, we all know that humans are... varied. You can find the best and the worst. He had the misfortune of having such a bad experience with the worst... ».

« But what were the experiments about? ».

« Not now »,  sighed Butler.  « Also because you would begin to pester Artemis about it. And it's already bad enough I told you without you shouting it to the world ».

The conversation was over. Holly removed herself from the door and ran to the guest room, finding it open and waiting for her. She shut the door and threw herself on the bed. Her mind was filled with thoughts.

He was an orphan just like she was. But at least she had lived forty years with her parents before their deaths. He had lived with his just twelve years. She instantly felt a lot better about her own family, and immediately afterwards she  felt horrible for feeling better at someone else's expense. One detail of Butler's tale had found a place in her mind.

_He faults himself for their deaths._

_'I can't even imagine how much it must hurt to think to have killed your own parents'_ , she thought as she rolled uncomfortably on one side.  _'No wonder he's crazy'_ .

Her mental image of Artemis Fowl the Second wasn't completely wrong. He wasn't evil,  _just_ mad, and he had a reason to be mad. It was reasonable he hated humanity. But he wasn't the cold-hearted, icy, flat, stern person she had imagined. Or rather, he hadn't been. He was a person so scarred by life and fate to be unrecognisable.

Artemis Fowl II had suffered so much that the pain had driven him crazy.

And she was his prisoner.


End file.
